Under & Over
by Raina Wolfe - Lateraina
Summary: Sam's still struggling with trying to tell Danny how she feels, even two years later. So why is it so easier to spill her secrets to a dog?
1. Platonic

Hello! A few of you dog lovers will maybe like this one. Also, no, this idea did not come from that new ShaggyDog movie. In fact, I haven't even seen it yet and the plot lines are completely different besides that.

So, with that said, please read and enjoy!

**Summary: **Summer's here and Danny, Sam, and Tucker are ready to end their junior year and spend some school free vacation time. Tucker's off to techno-geek camp, leaving Danny and Sam alone for two weeks. Not that Sam cares, but her shaky tries at telling him how she truly feels always turn out to be disastrous. Sam heads home miserably, only to nearly run over two dogs while driving. Mortified at herself, she takes the dog she managed to hit home with her and takes care of him, finding her sudden love for the canine growing. And "Pyro" may be the only one who can find Danny—who's gone missing.

Disclaimer: Danny Phantom is owned by Butch Hartman and Nickelodeon Studios.

Under, OVER

Chapter One

Platonic

Sam yawned as they stepped out of the movie theatre, grinning as her notion had a chain reaction towards her best friend. "That…was the longest movie I've ever…watched."

"I told you it was like…eight hours," Danny pointed out, holding up two fingers and then quickly recovering and holding up eight.

"I didn't believe you," she blurted.

"You cannot sit through all three of those movies without wondering, "when is this going to end" unless you're a lotr fanatic," he said.

"And you're not?" she challenged.

"Well yeah, but…don't try and turn this around on me," he said, giving her a look as she laughed.

"It was a joke," she said. She felt her feet shift nervously. "Danny, tonight was awesome."

"Yeah, we should do it more often," he replied sincerely, jumping up and down.

She rolled her eyes. "You just went to the bathroom, don't tell me you have to go again…" She stared at him.

"No," he said, giving her a look that made her laugh.

"So, what about tomorrow?" she asked, growing nervous again. "Shall we?"

"If my parents gave me an allowance it would make things easier," he said.

"I can cover you, you know," she suggested, remembering her own little rich inheritance.

"You shouldn't have to all of the time," he insisted. "Let's do something different tomorrow."

"Okay, sounds good…wait, what are we doing?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

He laughed. "Why so worried?"

"Because I know how you and Tucker are," she blurted.

"Well, Tucker's not here, so it has nothing to do with other girls, if that's what your tone is about," he said.

"I spoke to him this morning," she told him. "He sounded like he was having fun."

"Yeah, did you hear about _Denise?_" He pretended to swoon and she made a sickening noise.

"Unfortunately…that's what you get at techno geek camp when two nerds collide."

"He's probably going to tell her to marry him or something if she keeps showing her stuff…with the computers I mean…"

"I knew what you meant," she said, rolling her lilac eyes again.

"I can't wait until he like tells her that he likes her or something."

"Speaking of…Danny, I have something to tell you," she stammered. "I've been kind of keeping it inside for a while…and I really--"

At the precise moment, Danny gasped as a streak of blue air came from his mouth and sighed. "Darn it."

They both looked up to see a long tailed ghost scouring the night sky above them. He shook his head. "He'll be fine for the time being, what were you going to say?"

"I…" she stuttered. She stopped, realizing that once again, she wasn't ready. There was no way she could tell him at the moment. She narrowed her eyes, laughing and shrugging it off. "It's nothing. Go on, you've got a job to do."

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yes," Sam said. "Need help?"

"Nope," he replied. "Well, besides the fact that we're in a public place…"

She got it. "Behind my car. And don't scratch it!"

He rushed behind it and beneath the sleek, small black vehicle, she saw a faint flash of light before his figure disappeared. He reappeared as Danny Phantom a second later, beside her.

"What are you going to do about your car?" Sam wondered.

"Oh…probably come back. Miss me, will you?"

"Always," she teased, wondering if he knew how much it was true…

"Sure," he said, laying on the sarcasm. "See ya."

"Be careful," she warned as he vanished into the clouds. She shook her head, blushing slightly as she remembered how he always seemed to like to mess with her and bit her lip, walking the five paces over to her car, her mood quickly vanishing like he had.

She climbed in, muttering to herself. Like that had been smart. Let's just try and tell him in the middle of a parking lot. She started the engine and pulled out faster than necessary. Then again, she did a lot of things she wasn't supposed to do. Not that she cared at the moment.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," Sam said to herself, banging her hands upon the steering wheel. She blared the rock music as loud as it could go without shattering the windows. "What is wrong with me?"

_The first sign of insanity is talking to yourself…_

At the moment, she felt pretty insane. Insane and stupid. She had just made a complete fool of herself. She wondered if she would ever have the courage to tell Danny how she really felt.

What was she really afraid of? That he wouldn't like her back? That he wanted to remain friends? She wanted to win his heart so badly. Maybe she was just desperate.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," she chanted to herself, pulling down an empty road about four blocks from her house.

There was no way she could spend even thirteen more days with Danny without completely falling apart on him. There was no way. This was perfect. She didn't have any distractions—and by distractions she meant no Tucker trying to play matchmaker or dropping hints or Paulina to keep her feelings twisted and her best friend distant—she could easily just tell him.

NOT.

She sighed and tore down another lonely road, still mentally slapping herself. And to think…she'd almost told him…

Something streaked by in front of her car suddenly and she threw on the brakes, a startled gasp escaping her throat. It wasn't quick enough. Her car collided with something and there was a thud, loud enough to nearly stop her heart.

She clapped a hand to her mouth, her entire body shaking. Breathlessly, she threw off her seatbelt, reflex soon catching up with her. She rushed out of the vehicle and her face went pale as she saw what she'd done.

There was a fairly small dog lying in the road, unmoving in the bright headlights that illuminated its think black fur with white streaks. It appeared to be a small Husky dog by its looks and size and male.

Something in the distance caught her eye and she looked up to see another dog running away down the road. But the fact was…that dog was okay.

She dropped down beside the one she'd hit, tears forming behind her eyes. How could she not have seen it coming? She'd been too preoccupied to bother looking. She felt like a total idiot. And worse yet, she'd killed it. Or had she…

Looking closer, she saw the dog's chest rise and fall with difficulty. He was still alive…But very injured. From what she could see, he wasn't bleeding, and she knew there was the great chance of internal bleeding.

She touched the dog's head with her hand, but it didn't open its eyes, almost making a purring noise as it whimpered in its unconsciousness.

"Don't worry. I'm going to make this right," she promised. She glanced around and sighed. She had to make this right. "I'll take care of you."

* * *

Sorry that was so short. This is one of those stories that has random lengths in the chapters. Some are long, some are short, and some are in the middle. For the most part, this story is fairly happy, but like a few of my others, always will have some inner drama. 

Please R&R! Here's your sneak peek!

_Chapter Two: Hurt (Chapters will all be one word themed)_

_"I don't think we have to worry about that. A lot of rest, care, and love," she said, putting an arm around her comfortingly._

_"Really?" she asked, dropping down beside him. He did seem to be breathing easier again. She turned back to her. "Thanks grandma."_

_"I'm family. It's what I do. Just…let's just keep this between us, shall we? Your father is allergic to dogs, if you remember," she said with a wink._

_"Right…" Sam said. Okay, this was going to be harder than it looked._

_"And…we'll need to buy him some accessories and food," she added._

_"Yes," she said. Okay, this was a lot harder than it looked._

Lateraina Wolf


	2. Hurt

Hello! Wow, I got a lot more reviews for this one than I expected. Seriously, I did. Thanks so much to my reviewers!

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Under, OVER

Chapter Two

Hurt

"Grandma!" Sam shouted, praying that her parents wouldn't answer. She doubted very much that her dad and mom would appreciate her bringing a wounded dog in the house.

"Sam, there you are!" she said. "You wouldn't believe what I just watched on tv. Cirque du Soleil is on channel--" Her grandmother wheeled into the front entrance, smiling at her.

"Grandma, I did something horrible, and…"

"Sweetheart, tell me what's wrong," she said.

"Danny and I went to the Lord of the Rings movie marathon and when I was coming home and I hit a dog," she said fast.

"Calm down, it's okay…Tell me what happened after that," she said.

"He's in my car," she said. "I wasn't sure whether I should take him to the vet or…"

"Come on," her grandma said, taking her hand and wheeling towards the garage where there was a ramp leading down into the driveway.

Sam followed, shaking very hard. She couldn't believe that she'd done this and even though she was bound and determined to make sure everything turned out okay, she felt horrible that she'd even did it in the first place. And guilty. Very guilty.

"Where are mom and dad?" she asked, looking around for their car.

"They're at the annual company dinner; they'll be home late," she replied.

Sam opened up the back of her car, where the dog was still lying down, his eyes closed, not moving when her grandmother reached forwards and touched his nose lightly with her fingers and then rubbed the edge of his neck.

"It's bad isn't it?" she asked, feeling so stupid. "Should we take him to a vet?"

"I don't think we have to worry about that. A lot of rest, care, and love," she said, putting an arm around her comfortingly.

"Really?" she asked, dropping down beside him. He did seem to be breathing easier again. She turned back to her. "Thanks grandma."

"I'm family. It's what I do. Just…let's just keep this between us, shall we? Your father is allergic to dogs, if you remember," she said with a wink.

"Right…" Sam said. Okay, this was going to be harder than it looked.

"And…we'll need to buy him some accessories and food," she added.

"Yes," she said. Okay, this was a lot harder than it looked. She was supposed to hide the dog, take care of him and…

Oh dear.

…………………….

"Sammiekins! Where are you?" Pam Manson's voice etched into Sam's once peaceful sleep and she groaned, putting the pillow over her head.

"There is something wrong with you people…I cannot possibly ever be your--" She gasped, suddenly remembering everything that had happened that night.

She sat up, gasping and then saw the dog, snoring lightly beside her, one paw outstretched in front of him. To her surprise, her sudden movement startled him and he gave a small whimper.

She reached out with her hand and rubbed gently behind his ears. He nudged into her fingers and then opened his eyes, blinking several times.

"Hi there," she whispered, still partly in shock.

"Samantha!" Pam shouted again. "Are you up? It's a beautiful day." The door to her room suddenly opened slowly and Sam gasped, doing the first thing she could think of and covered the dog with her blanket just as her mother stepped into her room.

"Oh, you are up," her blonde haired mother said, walking in without invitation.

"Hi," she said, laughing nervously.

"That's the spirit dear," she said, opening up the curtains.

Sam grimaced as bright light suddenly filled the room, nearly blinding her. But so far, that was the last thing on her mind.

"What are you going to do today?"

"I…maybe…hang out with Danny I guess," she replied.

"Hmm…I see. Is he still getting into trouble like he was?"

"No," she muttered.

"Alright, no need to get offensive. I'm a parent, it's my job to know who my daughter is hanging out with," she said. "I wanted to tell you that your father and I are going on a two day trip for a while."

"Oh, really?" she asked, almost excited. "Where?"

Pam gave her a look, confused. "It's a business trip to New York."

"Right…business," she said, quickly covering up. "Okay…"

"But we were going to let you know last night, but your grandmother insisted on not waking you up."

"Yeah…I was kind of wiped last night," she said. In all honesty, she'd carried the dog up to her room and had even put him in her bed for somewhere comfortable. And in all honesty, that was only because she felt guilty. Most of the time, she was a cat person, and if she hadn't had run over him, she wouldn't be here…but she had.

And the dog hadn't even moved. She'd fallen asleep next to him around midnight or so after making a list of all she needed to get for him.

"Sam?"

"Yes?" she asked, snapping back into reality. "Sorry."

"So, will you be alright for a few days while we're gone?" she asked.

"Yes…I'll be great," she replied. "I mean, fine. I'll be fine." Liar.

"Alright. Well, your father and I are packing upstairs if you need us," she said. She ruffled her black hair and then stood up. "And don't go back to sleep."

"I can't now," she told her, honestly.

"Samantha dear," Pam said, nodding her head suspiciously at the bed. Sam's heart beat faster. _Tell me she sees nothing… _"You really shouldn't sleep like that. It's bad on your back."

Sam almost breathed in relief. "Oh, right. Sure thing."

Her mom smiled and then walked out of the room. She leaned back, collapsing onto the pillow, sighing and lifting the sheet. The dog looked up at her, his wide blue eyes shining.

"You're a good dog," she said, ruffling his ears. "After the day-trippers leave, we'll find you something to eat." He licked her hand and for a moment, Sam felt herself soften. "You are cute…I'll give you that."

He made a soft humming noise and swung his paw at her hand and she laughed and then got an idea. "You know, I bet I know someone who would love to see you."  
She wasn't surprised to find that Danny was once again on her mind. But he'd always been a lover of dogs and she was sure that he wouldn't mind helping to keep him secret.

"I can't always call you a him…" she said to herself, looking at the dog. "We have to give you a name…" The first thing that came to her mind was Phantom. But then she realized how much that would give it away that she was in love with him. Then again…he'd been pretty clueless to any other hint he'd been given.

Then she got another idea. As long as she didn't name him Phantom, she could give him a similar name…like…

"Pyro," she said after a minute. "What do you say? Do you like that?"

He swung his paw again at her and she grinned. "Okay, I'm taking that as a yes." She stood up, stretching and then looked around. "Hmm…I'll have to keep you here until my parents leave…"

She walked over to her closet and pulled it open, taking out her normal shirt and skirt and started to change her other one, turning around only to see the dog bury his head underneath the covers again.

"Oh, no, if I have to wake up, you have to wake up," she said, putting on the other one quickly and then walking over to him. She lifted the cover off of him and ruffled his fur with her hands. "Come on lazy bums."

She grinned at him, sitting beside him and he nudged into her knees with his head, cocking his head to the side and making her laugh.

"Goofy dog…" she said, snapping her fingers and standing up again. She made a face, wishing her parents would leave even faster. She wanted to talk to her grandma and see—

Sam jumped as a very high pitched cry from behind her, gasping as she realized that Pyro had tried to follow her off the bed and was now sprawled out on the floor, whimpering.

She dropped down beside him, brushing her hair out of her face. Looking closer, she saw him try to move his back left paw but winced every time he did. She extended her hand and had just barely touched it when he yelped again, moving away from her touch.

"Sorry, sorry," she said, cringing. "Oh…no…" Clearly, that was the thing she'd hit hardest; or it seemed to be at least. He whined once, setting his head on her knee and in one instant, Sam fell even more in love with the animal. "It's okay…"

"Sam? Sam, are you alright?" her mother shouted suddenly from the hallway, standing right outside the door.

"I'm fine!" she said fast. "Don't come in. I'm getting dressed."

"What happened?"

"I fell over and stubbed my toe, I'm fine," she said again, her eyes wide as she absentmindedly stroked the dogs head with her fingers.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," she insisted.

"Okay…your father and I are going to leave soon," she said. "Come down, would you?"

"Yes, of course," she said. She reached up and pulled a few pillows and her blanket from her bed, setting them around Pyro so he'd have something to lay on since he didn't seem to be going anywhere. "Be right back, I promise," she told him. He whimpered a very lonely sound and she felt guilty. "I'll be back…Just stay here, okay?"

She stood up and opened her door just a crack, making sure her parents weren't anywhere near the hallway where they could peer in and see anything and to her luck, they weren't.

"Stay," she said again, closing the door behind her and praying that he was at least partly trained…Ooh, this was a lot harder than it looked.

* * *

Now before you all jump to any conclusions, I'll tell you right now, that every Husky dog I've ever seen besides one, has had blue eyes. So don't necessarily get any ideas on that one. 

Anyway, will the dog lift Sam's dark heart? Can the Goth actually be a dog lover? Of course she can! That's the beauty of fanfiction!

Please R&R! Here's your sneak peek!

_Chapter Three: Care_

_"I've already named and everything," she replied, grinning. "Pyro."_

_"That's lovely," she replied. "What are you going to do with him?"_

_"I was actually thinking about taking him over to show him off to Danny. Go for a walk in the park…well, that won't work…We'll do something…" She broke off at her grandmother's next look towards her. "What is it?" _

_"Sam…I know you…love animals…and you would do anything to care for him, but…" Her grandmother stopped a minute and Sam's heart began to fall. "You can't keep him."_

Lateraina Wolf


	3. Care

Hello! I just wanted to update this one before I closed off for May because I don't think this one will make it to 100 by the end of April, so, I'll leave you for one month with a little cliffhanger.

Thanks to my reviewers!

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Okay, I know I updated Dare You To Move yesterday, yet something's up with my emails. I can't seem to get any author alerts or review alerts. Anyone else having the same problem?

Under, Over

Chapter Three

Care

"We'll be back soon dear," Pam said, pulling her luggage towards the door. "A few days."

"Right," Sam replied, her hand fidgeting nervously.

She didn't know why she was so nervous. She'd kept loads of secrets from her parents before. Heck, for the most part, she didn't even talk to her parents (without it being forced or totally awkward). Then again…she felt like she was hiding drugs or some guy in her room.

The thought almost made her laugh aloud, but instead it came out as a short snort, making both her parents and her grandmother raise eyebrows, looking at her funny.

"Oh, I wasn't laughing at you…I mean, I wasn't laughing at what you said…I was off in my own little world…" She trailed off and felt her cheeks heat up.

Her grandmother cleared her throat. "Sam and I will be fine. We'll look through old photographs and start a scrapbook perhaps."

Sam would have laughed again if she was afraid of blowing her grandmother's excuse. Yeah, right. That was a downright lie. She knew that her granma was really just covering up for her and she reminded herself to definitely say thank you for the billionth time.

"Well, that sounds fun," Jeremy said, clapping his daughter on the back softly. "Pam, we'd better go before the plane heads off."

"Of course," she agreed. She kissed Sam on the cheek and then hugged her mother, her father doing the same. "Stay well, will you?"

"We'll be fine," her grandmother said again. "Go on."

"Bye!" the three called together as they exited through the door.

Sam didn't move, watching as their shadows retreated down into the garage. Finally after she heard the car doors slam, she turned to her grandmother.

Charlotte turned to her as well. "Where is he?"

"In my room. He seems okay besides his back leg," she told her.

"You definitely caught him off guard if you managed to hit his leg," her grandmother stated, almost laughing, but still making Sam feel worse. "Last night I called my friend Carla. She agreed to look up on him since she was a vet."

"Really?" she asked eagerly.

She nodded. "At least then you won't have to worry about nonsense heavy charges and the worry of getting any…shots for the poor thing."

"Eww…" She figured she had tortured him enough… "I'll go get him."

……………………

"He's a fine one isn't he?" Carla Hampshire said, ruffling his fur with her fingers. "Sweet too." He nudged into her touch and Sam leaned down, petting him softly.

"Can you help him?"

Carla smiled at both of them. "He'll be in good hands Sam, don't worry. In the meantime, why don't you have a seat?" She motioned towards the comfortable looking couch over by the wall. "I'll be back in ten minutes."

As she wheeled Pyro away in the small cart they'd brought him on, he gave her a lonely, withdrawn look that made Sam curl inside.

"He'll be alright," her grandma said, watching her rather than the dog leaving. "What about you? Is someone having some worry?"

"I feel terrible," she said. "I can't believe…I…hit a dog…and…"

"It was an accident…and it could have been worse, but it wasn't. He'll be good in no time, you'll see," she said, patting her arm. "Come on, let's sit down."

Her grandmother's friend turned out to be a very good vet with a private office at her own home. She was quite famous around Amity Park and fair with expenses. They were sitting in a large waiting room and the office was behind a large open window surrounded by pictures of dogs and cats and birds she'd helped.

Carla herself was a woman around her grandmother's age with a bright smile and crisp attitude, but nothing compared to her parents.

"Got off lucky…didn't I?" she joked, laughing shortly. "He slept next to me last night and didn't even move. I thought dogs were always excited whether they were hurt or not." That was part of the truth. She'd met some pretty…weird dogs. Cough, cough the green ghost dog that decided to lick her randomly, usually covering her with green, ectoplasmic saliva. She shuddered at the thought.

"Hmm…looks like you hit a good one then," Charlotte said. "He could already be trained."

"I've already named him and everything," she replied, grinning. "Pyro."

"That's lovely," she replied. "What are you going to do with him?"

"I was actually thinking about taking him over to show him off to Danny. Go for a walk in the park…well, that won't work…We'll do something…" She broke off at her grandmother's next look towards her. "What is it?"

"Sam…I know you…love animals…and you would do anything to care for him, but…" Her grandmother stopped a minute and Sam's heart began to fall. "You can't keep him."

"I know…" she said softly. What was wrong with her? She'd always been taught…and whether it was her parents' saying or not, she still respected it. _If you love something…let it go. _But she felt her heart rip into pieces; was she really in love with a dog?  
At least this one you can talk to. She laughed. She could talk to a dog easier than she could her own best friend.

"What?" her grandmother asked.

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head and then running a hand through her hair.

"Look Sam, sweetie…I think we should find who he belongs to before your parents come back."

She nodded silently. Where would he go? She had two days to find out. And of course, Danny would help. In fact…if they didn't find an owner, he would probably see if he could keep him. She remembered how he'd always wanted a dog. He'd probably be surprised to know that she'd kept him overnight…in her bed.

"Here we are," Carla said, walking back in the room. Pyro was at her heels, now limping slightly, but walking.

Sam stood up excitedly and knelt down beside him, scratching his ears. "Thank you…" she said to the elderly vet. "So much, he looks so much better…"

"Oh, he wasn't that bad. Just a bit beat up. I gave him a painkiller for his leg. I wasn't going to bother with a cast. It's just bruised a bit. Close to a sprain, but fortunately not there. But, no rough playing for a few days," she instructed, sitting down beside him. "He's a good one. Hardly even flinched when I gave him a shot."

"Must not be afraid of needles," Charlotte joked. "That or…after getting hit by a car, he's used to pain…"

Sam managed to give her grandmother a glare and the two women laughed. She shook her head and ruffled the dog's fur. He made a lick at her hand, but she pulled away, teasing him and he jumped into her lap, making her gasp in surprise.

"He definitely likes her," Carla said. "Of course, the young ones usually like the younger ones." She laughed.

"How old would you say he is?" her grandmother asked. She looked up, waiting for the answer.

"Hmm…it's hard to tell with dogs. Sometimes they can be eleven and hardly show age. So energetic and full of life. But if I were to make a guess…I'd say maybe a little bit over two years."

"So that would be like, what, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen in dog years?" Sam kidded.

"Yep, pretty much," she said. "Now, if you want, I have some food and some other things…Are you keeping him?"

"No…" she replied, trying not to sound too disappointed. "I'm going to see if me and my friend can find his real owner."

"But if you have a few things for a couple days, that would be wonderful Carla," Charlotte offered.

"Sure thing." She bent down and pet him again and he wagged his tail, putting both paws across Sam's lap. Carla smiled. "I think he'll be in pretty good hands."

"I think he will too," her grandma agreed, giving Sam a smile.

Sam grinned and stroked the dog's head with her fingers. She'd take care of him until she had to give him up again. Until then…She hoped it would only become easier.

……………………

Sam eased onto the highway a half an hour later, Pyro riding shot gun beside her. She hummed to herself, watching just barely out of the corner of her eye as the dog made no effort to escape whatsoever or chew the armrests or seats or crawl back into the backseat. Instead, he'd curled up innocently on the seat, his tail wagging nonstop.

She reached over and whacked at his tail. He looked up at her with those big blue eyes and she laughed. "Such a good dog…Danny is going to flip when he sees you." He cocked his head to the side and it made her laugh again. "He loves dogs…Let's see…what was it he said…Of course, when he was under Ember's spell he pretty much told me everything I needed to know…I think he was five. Jeeze, what did he say…Oh, now I remember… 'When I was five, I really wanted a puppy, but my parents…" She laughed. "I had to shut him up. That boy was nuts…And not just for dogs…"

He whimpered and put a paw over his nose. "What?" she asked. She snorted. "Great…now I'm talking to a dog…I'm starting to sound insane. Maybe I should stop hanging out with Danny." She grinned wickedly.

He barked and then stood up on the seat, pawing the armrest her arm was resting on. "What?" she asked, leaning over and then pulling back before he could lick her nose. "Nice try."

Pyro stretched, whimpering at the same time and sat down again, staring at her, his head still cocked to the side.

"What?" she asked, shocked. "Don't look at me like that." She laughed at her own insanity and then pulled onto Danny's street, contemplating. "Are you hungry?"

He barked in reply and she cheered. "Me too. We'll head down to the Nasty Burger after--"

Her heart gave a small leap as she approached the Fenton home, spotting two police cars parked in the driveway. The windows that were usually open in the summer to conserve energy (an idea that she'd driven into them) were closed.

Pyro whimpered, staring at the house and seemed to read her emotions, his tail stopping its movement.

"What's going on?" she asked her voice barely above a whisper, feeling a chill cross her spine. She threw off her seatbelt and threw open her door, holding it open for him and he followed quickly. "Come on…" she said, rushing towards the stairs.

She jumped them three at once and ended up jumping the full extent. He was quickly behind her, but as she started to knock on the door, she thought about the dog and was reminded of the reason Danny couldn't have a dog. It was because of the Fentons' work.

"Stay here, okay?" she asked.

He whimpered, but then sat down beside the door. She knocked on the door once and then let herself in, something that Danny had told her to do since nobody really answered the door on weekends.

"Hello?" she called. "Anyone home?"

"Sam!" shouted two female voices.

She was instantly swarmed by Maddie and Jazz Fenton as well as a police officer. But her thoughts were on the Fenton woman, both of whom looked pale and stressed, almost scared.

"What's going on?" she asked. She looked around the room, spotting Jack, who was sitting next to another police officer on the couch, wearing an identical worried look. "Where's Danny?"

"We were hoping you could tell us," Jazz replied, her voice instantly changing.

"What?" she asked.

"Sam, right?" the police man asked, stepping up to her.

"Yes, what is it?" she asked, confused.

"When was the last time you saw their son?" he asked. "Danny?"

"We went to the movies just last night," she replied, feeling her heart lurch. "What happened? Where is he?"

"Danny never came home last night," Maddie said quietly, her tone grave.

"And as of last night then, he's missing."

* * *

Now you'll probably get some ideas, but I'm going to let you think what you want because you know how I love to mess with you guys…Please R&R! 

Here's your sneak peek!

_Chapter Four: Missing_

_"This can't be happening," Sam said, feeling like she was going to cry. "I just saw him last night…"_

_"So there was a ghost then?" Jazz asked, pacing the stairs. "Last night?"_

_"I should have stayed with him," she said, suddenly realizing what could have happened. "Jazz, what if that ghost hurt him?"_

_"Don't say that," she said, panicked. "Don't say that. He'll…he'll come home. He has to come home."_

Lateraina Wolf


	4. Missing

Hello! Thanks to my reviewers!

HAlFa34, Kybo, Hakkyou Kuusou, Anime Chick 009, WingsOfMorphius, Frogger, phoenix wanderer, Kagome M.K, Master of Procrastination, XxFadedxMemoriesxX, Slayer of Souls, Fantastic Bouncy Girl, divinedragon7, DoggieGurl10, memoirs of a faded memory, Celestial Moonshine, GPZ, Galateagirl, Leppers

Some of you getting some ideas? Hee hee. You don't think I'd turn Danny into a dog, do you? That's a bit weird. Cheeyah.

Under, Over

Chapter Four

Missing

Sam stumbled backwards in shock, feeling her whole body turn cold. "W-what?"

"Would you mind answering a few more questions for me Miss Manson?" The police officer speaking had a gentle tone with brown hair and brown eyes.

She nodded, suddenly losing her voice and Maddie took her arm softly, leading her over to a chair. "I swear, I just saw him last night…"

"Tell me all that happened yesterday then," he requested. Jazz sat next to her on the arm of the chair, the whole Fenton family waiting expectantly on her answer.

She rubbed her arms nervously, trying to shake off the goose bumps that had risen across her skin, but they wouldn't disappear. "I met Danny…around five thirty…We had dinner at the Nasty Burger together and then we went to the movie theatre about maybe…a half an hour later…There was a marathon on there that lasted about five, six, maybe seven hours. It was all three Lord of the Rings movies…"

"What happened after that?" he asked.

"We left the theatre…" She broke off, remembering how his ghost sense had gone off while they'd been standing in the parking lot and hesitantly glanced up at Jazz, then back and almost instantly felt Danny's older sister tense up beside her. "He said he had to go to the bathroom and I left…" Despite her lie, she couldn't help but feel that telling it was better than saying, "he had to go fight a ghost."

"Where did you go after that?"

"I went home," she said.

"He didn't call you…or…anything…?"

"No. No, he didn't," she replied.

"Are you romantically involved with Daniel? Was last night a date?"

The question surprised her and she didn't answer right away. "No…no, I'm not. He's my best friend. We…just went to the movies."

The police officer stood up fully and sighed, looking solemnly over at the Fenton adults. The nametag on his uniform read Officer Kirkpatrick. "We can't assume it's a kidnapping…but we can't rule it out either. You said your son had no past rebellious actions?"

"No, never," Maddie said. "He was a good kid…" She breathed in sharply, holding back tears and seeing the woman almost cry made Sam want to do so as well and her eyes burned.

"Danny wouldn't run away," Jazz said quietly.

"Mr. and Mrs. Fenton, could I speak with you…privately?" he asked, referring to both Jazz and Sam.

"Girls…would you mind…" Jack trailed off.

"I'll go…make some tea or something," Jazz replied, tugging on Sam's arm. She allowed herself to be pulled into the kitchen while both detectives began speaking with Danny's parents.

His redheaded sister leaned up against the counter, her hand at her mouth, trembling. She placed it on her forehead, trying to think.

"This can't be happening," Sam said, feeling like she was going to cry. "I just saw him last night…"

"So there was a ghost then?" Jazz asked, pacing now. "Last night?"

"I should have stayed with him," she said, suddenly realizing what could have happened. "Jazz, what if that ghost hurt him?"

"Don't say that," she said, panicked. "Don't say that. He'll…he'll come home. He has to come home."

"We don't know that," she said loudly, feeling desperate. But she wouldn't allow herself to cry. Not here, not now.

For a moment, both of them were silent, both worried, feeling frightened and alone. Then—

"What is that noise?" Jazz asked, sniffling.

"What?" Sam asked, looking up.

"I keep hearing scratching…Like something's at the door…" She turned around towards the back door, her eyes narrowed in confusion.

"It's probably Pyro," she replied absentmindedly without thinking.

She blinked several times. "What?"

Sam quickly realized why she'd come here in the first place. "He's…sort of my dog. I accidentally ran over him with my car and I've been taking care of him."

"Oh…I never figured you for the dog type," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"I felt guilty. And the dog is so sweet…I…I was going to show him off to Danny." She sighed, running a hand through her hair again. "I never should have left him…I should have stayed."

"Look…you shouldn't feel guilty about this. You can't blame yourself. The best thing we can do is keep up hope that he's just been out…all night…fighting some ghost and that he'll be home soon. But it wasn't your fault. You could have never known that this was going to happen."

"Thanks," she said softly.

"I still can't believe you have a dog," she said, shaking her head.

"He's right outside…"

To her surprise, Jazz crept over towards the door and then opened it slightly, peering outside. She made a small ecstatic noise. "Aw…"

Sam walked over behind her and she held the door open farther, letting Pyro sneak inside. He wagged his tail happily at the sight of them.

"Danny would have adored you," Jazz said, dropping down on her knees and petting him. He seemed to notice the tone in which she'd said it because he cocked his head, whimpering and putting a paw on her wrist.

Sam ran her fingers through his hair, closing her eyes. Just hearing Danny's name again had brought back all of her fears.

One thing was sure…whether it was her fault or not, she would never forgive herself if she never saw him again.

"We'll find him Sam," Jazz assured both her and herself at the same time, seeming to read her thoughts. "We have to."

* * *

This chapter was supposed to be short, so that's why it is. The next chapter is one, better and two, longer. It's actually my favorite chapter anyway. I hope it becomes yours as well. 

Please R&R! Here's your sneak peek!

_Chapter Five: Confessions (Beginning)_

_An hour later, Sam collapsed on her bed, burying her face in the velvety comforter, and suddenly broke down. She'd kept herself from crying all that time while she'd been in the Fenton house. Now…all of the emotion she felt seemed to crash down at once. Fear, concern, loneliness, uncertainty…that she'd ever see Danny again._

_The tears came without stop and she let them come, crying out into the soft cloth beneath her. She'd never felt so horrible before…_

_Whimpering softly, Pyro jumped up beside her and nudged her shoulder. She turned lightly and he laid out next to her, his large blue eyes staring almost…in understanding at her tears, right into her own eyes._

_Next Updates: _Our Truth, Virtuality, Insight View, Stand Up (New), Modern Day R&J, Butterfly Wings, If You're Not The One, Dare You To Move, The Spirit Room, Jet Plane, The Ghost At Summer Camp, Love Me, Love Me

Lateraina Wolf


	5. Confession

Hello! Thanks to my reviewers!

Jessica01, Karaway, passing4insane, Kuki Salazar, romancerox, Fantastic Bouncy Girl, Slayer of Souls, Melodey70, OceanShadow, Anime Chick009, rebelangelz, TikTac, luv2bamom, Fey Phantom, Star-In-The-Sky-25, HAlFa34, Kagome M.K, coolgirlc, AirGirl Phantom, memoirs of a faded memory, Snea, XxFadedxMemoriesxX, cutereviewgirl, Dragon Eva, Master of Procrastination, SilverstarsEbonyskies

No notes beside a few notes on the chapter's references. Fanning The Flames, Reign Storm, Shades Of Gray, Double Cross My Heart, Control Freaks, Memory Blank, Lucky In Love, The Ultimate Enemy, & Flirting With Disaster. Hint hint, mainly D/S romance episodes.

I can understand why you all seem to think that I've turned Danny into a dog, and with my track record of doing nearly everything in hell to Danny, I'm not surprised. But…you gotta notice one thing…If you read chapter one over again…why was there two dogs if it's Danny?

Under, OVER

Chapter Five

Confession

An hour later, Sam collapsed on her bed, burying her face in the velvety comforter, and suddenly broke down. She'd kept herself from crying all that time while she'd been in the Fenton house. Now…all of the emotion she felt seemed to crash down at once. Fear, concern, loneliness, uncertainty…that she'd ever see Danny again.

The tears came without stop and she let them come, crying out into the soft cloth beneath her. She'd never felt so horrible before…

Whimpering softly, Pyro jumped up beside her and nudged her shoulder. She turned lightly and he laid out next to her, his large blue eyes staring almost…in understanding at her tears, right into her own eyes.

She burst into tears again. "Danny," she cried into the soft sheets. She stroked the dog's fur and he nestled in beside her, licking at her wrist. She didn't shove him away, tears falling continually down her cheeks.

"If only he knew how much…how much I love him…He's been my best friend for years and…I can't handle…knowing that I could lose him again…" She sniffled and stared blankly around her room. "The first time, we stood up there on that roof…I thought, this was it. This was how it would all end…I would lose my best friend…because he was trying to save me…And everyone else…I was so terrified…I really thought…it would be the last time I would ever see him. And then…he asked me if there was anything I needed to say to him…"

She wiped a tear from her eye. "And to think I almost told him…I was so desperate. I wanted him to stay, yet he was going off to fight. And…he could have died…I couldn't say goodbye like that and…then there was an interruption. I never said it. As he left to go…he gave me…the most hopeful smile…And then I knew…He would be back. Everything would be fine. All he needed was a little…encouragement. So, I wrangled up his old enemies and threatened to never let them out of the Fenton Thermos and we forced them to help…They were slightly willing anyway, I just kind of tipped the scale…" She laughed and brushed a tear from her cheek.

"And just like that…I was right. He came back…Looked horrible, but he came back…alive. I did everything I could after that to not try and tell him. He had enough going on and…it was probably wouldn't have mattered anyway…There are so many times that I've feared for his life. That he'd…get in some fight with a ghost and never come back from it… Or worse…And then it did…It did happen. For the first time…I was scared that I was going to die…Right there. Fourteen years old…barely got to do anything I'd wanted. But then he showed up…and he kept his promise…And I watched him fight and I knew he'd do anything to keep it. I was so terrified that night…And for a moment, I actually felt nothing. I remember…seeing that horrified look in his eye…And then nothing. But then…I was suddenly back in school like nothing had happened at all. It hadn't. I thought it was all a dream at first. Like I'd fallen asleep right in the middle of the CAT. But it wasn't a dream either. Danny told me the whole story about what really happened…It takes a lot of courage to tell that to someone…that you could have killed your own family and friends…with a simple decision. I fell even more in love with him after that…Not only had he made the right decision after that, but he'd corrected even more." She laughed. "Now he doesn't even look off my homework to get a few answers…"

"It wouldn't be the only decision he'd made that had saved my life either…That night on the train…He could have just let me fall...But then I was in his arms…I had never doubted him. Okay, maybe a little, but that was because he was under Freakshow's control. Still…he was so…freaky those couple of days… He's so strong…He fought that spell…I could see it in his eyes. And he saved me…"

Sam paused for a minute. "But it wasn't all so dramatic…Sometimes, we had the best times. Like…Finding out that Paulina wasn't really Paulina when she claimed to be dating Danny…Oh, that was the best. I wanted to punch that girl so much…Only to find out it was Kitty all along. Ah, that made my day… Of course, Danny wasn't too thrilled and I wouldn't have been either, but as long as it wasn't Paulina who was really there, I couldn't care."

The dog tilted his head curiously, moving his front paw towards her and she rubbed the top of his foot with her fingers. "He had this crush on Paulina for the longest time…And surprisingly, I'm kind of glad that I think he's getting over it and kind of glad he's not…Because he's into Valerie now…" She trailed off at first.

"Sitting there in that park that day and watching how vicious she already seemed to be…I did the first thing I could do and kicked him somewhere he wouldn't like. He was so surprised he changed back after I tackled him in the bush…and then I just kissed him. Right in time too…The look on his face…Oh, I could have died. For a moment, I swear he looked like he actually enjoyed it. So cute… And then…after the incident with the Ghost King…he started to like her a lot. And I know…a little bit of it was Technus, you're not going to convince me it wasn't…but most of it was just his feelings towards her. I couldn't believe him. He was being completely…brain dead to the real situation that could have really happened. I knew he would get hurt. I knew both of them would get hurt. And I didn't want to see that…but I did anyway. I felt so angry at Valerie after that…Me. I wanted to scream at her for doing that to him. Now every time he sees her, even now…he just has that look in his eye…"

"But…like I said, there were a few things that I'll never forget. Ember's spell on him for one…Oh, man, that boy was messed up. Would _not _stop talking about me and telling me how beautiful I was or some other compliment that he knew would torment me…" She laughed. "I thought about teasing him and telling him all the things he said to me since he only partly remembered it…But I figured it would be a lot funnier if I just blackmailed him in the future…Really pretty when you're about to fall off a building…yeah right…"

She laughed again, leaning up against her pillow and brushing his fur with her hand. "He drove me nuts…Several times. We've only really fought twice…I got so angry at him…He was blaming me for something that I swore I had no part in…But in reality, I really did. I had to rewrite our whole friendship because I'd had the nerve to say that wish. I had really lost him…completely. And what's worse is that if I hadn't set everything back to normal…how would he still feel? I doubt he'd still want to be my friend after what I'd put him through. Yet he still kept his promise after that…He's pretty good with the promises thing…"

Sam smiled at last, thinking about the memory. "You know…the first time I actually had a boyfriend…" She made a disgusted noise and then sighed.

"Every time I was with Gregor…You know who I kept thinking about? Danny…he was always on my mind. And whether I was angry with him for spying on me or not, he was telling the truth in the end. Gregor…or should I say, Eliott…was a jerk and for a moment, I actually thought the only way I would ever get a boyfriend was if he were to be some stupid player or a ghost hunter or ghost or something. And then for a moment, Danny almost convinced me that it wasn't true."

"There is something I would have said each time after that…All this time I've felt something for him…I really saw him for who he truly was…Not just a hero, but as a real…good person who would do so much for so little…Most of the city is against him and yet he's still out there fighting to protect it. No matter what happens…He's always come back…and now…"

A single tear fell from her eye. "I cannot…handle losing him. He _has _to come back this time…I love him too much to lose him…But if he doesn't, he'll never know that…He has to come back…"

Pyro nudged into her softly, sighing quietly. She laughed. "And yet I'm still talking to you as if you'd talk back…" She closed her eyes, leaning back into the pillow. "But that's okay…I can talk to you easier than the only one I've ever loved…How sad is that…" Her voice trailed off as she drifted into an uneasy sleep, the dog soundly snoozing beside her.

* * *

Hee hee…Well, that didn't turn out to be as long as I would have liked, but I think it meant a lot more than length, so I'm not that concerned anymore. 

So, please R&R! Here's your sneak peek!

_Chapter Six: Sense_

_Sam groaned as the dog whimpered in her ear, pawing at the pillow, but didn't open her eyes. "What?" she grumbled, her voice hoarse. She scratched Pyro's ears softly. "Lay down baby…"_

_He didn't. Instead she felt him nudging into her several times, clearly trying to wake her up. She opened one eye warily, feeling like she hadn't slept at all. "What…"_

_Pyro whined again and then barked once, making her open both eyes, defeated. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Do you want out?" She had hoped that it hadn't been the only reason he'd woken her up, but in the back of her mind, she was at least relieved he hadn't gone somewhere in the house._

_He made a sad noise again, barking and now that she was more awake, Sam saw that his fur was sticking up over his back, his whole body tensed. Something else was wrong._

Lateraina Wolf


End file.
